THE SCREEN; HAROLD LLOYD AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER.

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The necessity for strong dramatic action in the course of telling a grim story has been overlooked in translating to the screen, Selma Lagerlof's novel, "The Emperor of Portugallia," which now is at the Capitol under the film title of "The Tower of Lies." Nevertheless this is a worthy picture in many respects and throughout its length one is impressed by the sincerity and earnestness with which it has been wrought. There are many beautiful farm scenes with entrancing lighting effects that call to mind one or two if Millet's paintings, and in certain stretches the hand of Victor Seastrom, the artist, is revealed.This is Mr. Seastrom's fourth pictorial effort since he arrived in Hollywood two years ago. His most noteworthy production was the film conception of "He Who Gets Slapped," in which the principals were Lon Chaney and Norma Shearer. Mr. Chaney and Miss Shearer are featured in this current photodrama, and to the viewer it seems as if Mr. Chaney had had too much to say about his own performance, for he overacts and his make-up, consisting largely of a rich crop of iron gray hair and whiskers and beard, seem to fit well without looking as if they belonged to him. Mr. Chaney's exaggerated actions and expressions appear to have been contagious, for Mr. Seastrom himself betrays a weakness for overemphasizing a number of points. An occasional introduction of a character by depicting only the feet is not amiss, but when such an idea is repeated time and again during the tale, it becomes tedious.As this Swedish narrative is told, it is more of a short story or a sketch than a photodrama. First one perceives the hard-headed old son of the soil, Jan, plowing his farm, bemoaning later the fact that his wife is to give birth to "another mouth to feed." His whole life changes, however, when he takes the baby in his arms. He is tender and he feels the awakening of paternal affection. Thereafter he goes about his labor with cheer and a will, always looking forward to going home and seeing his child.When Goldie grows up she is amazed to hear that August, the son of her father's old friend, insists on the payment of $300 on the following Oct. 1. She leaves for a big city, writes a few letters home, and then nothing more is heard from her. Jan expects that no matter what happens she will keep her word and return on Oct. 1. He listens for her footsteps on that day and more than once is disappointed. Not long afterward he learns that Goldie has bought the farm for her parents. She had fallen from grace in the eyes of all except Jan, who, as years roll by, becomes insane over his daughter's absence. His end is the only real dramatic touch in the story.In making the sacrifice for her parents' comfort, it does not strike one that Goldie had fought to be good. One sees nothing of her in the place to which she traveled, and therefore there is little contrast in this photodrama. Then it might be expected that a father would beg, borrow or steal to travel to the place whither his daughter had gone, especially after years of her silence.Goldie looks like a girl well able to take care of herself, and there are scenes in which she shows her love for her father, when they played as Emperor and Empress. Yet in the end, after the old man has been mercifully drowned. Goldie is depicted beaming on her sweetheart, as the old farm horse gallops away to leave the boy and the girl alone.This tale has not been properly analyzed on the screen, for Mr. Seastorm and others must have been able to detect its many failings. Miss Shearer is fair in both senses of the word, but she never permits years to cause any change on her bright countenance. Ian Keith, as the successful wooer, is never in need of a haircut or shave. He looks as if he had stepped from a Hollywood ballroom floor to the farm fields of Sweden. Claire McDowell gives a really excellent performance as the mother.This is a slow-moving long-faced story, in which Lon Chaney often is stiff and exaggerated, his obvious false whiskers, beard and hair, making his portrayal during some stages, all the more unconvincing.

A Swedish Story.

THE TOWER OF LIES, with Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, Jan Keith, Claire McDowell, William Haines and David Torrence, adapted from Selma Lagerlof's novel, "The Emperor of Portugallia," directed by Victor Seastrom; overture, "The Queen of Sheba"; divertissements, with Betsy Ayres, Mlle. Gambarelli and Rudy Wiedoeft; "Home, Sweet Home the World Over"; "The Friendly Breast of Earth," a scenic. At the Capitol.Coming away from the midnight presentation of the screen version of Harold McGrath's novel and play, "The Man on the Box," which finished early on Saturday morning, we felt that we were putting it mildly in saying that we had seen something like a bull in a china shop, for this pseudo-comic absurdity might cause Mack Sennett to wonder why they did not have bathing girls in this production. It made us think of a mad elephant in a Harlem apartment—something to go home and dream about and wake up with a headache next morning.So long as Sydney Chaplin, who is the stellar player in this bit of buffoonery, gives the old-fashioned performance he does in "The Man on the Box," his brother Charlie need not have the slightest fear of competition. Sydney Chaplin's portrayal in "Charley's Aunt" suited Brandon Thomas's well-knit farce, but Sydney has no such clever vehicle in "The Man on the Box," and perhaps for that reason he slumps into acting that would make a pantomine clown's gyrations with a string of sausages look like high-class comedy.The Chaplin clan believe in loyalty to the family, which is evidenced outside Warners' theatre, where this banana-peel effusion is being exhibited. There is a huge reproduction of a telegram from Charlie to Sydney which reads:"Congratulations, Syd. Saw 'Man on Box' last night and thought it wonderful. More power to the family. With love."Sydney Chaplin expresses surprise and fear as he probably did on the stage years ago with the Karno Comedians, possibly forgetting that the widening of his eyes and the raising of his eyebrows seem terribly exaggerated on the screen. Of course this stretch, containing mostly old stunts, elicited a good deal of laughter. It was the sort of hilarity that greets the flopping of a man, clad in a new flannel suit, into a pool of heated tar. You see Sydney tackle a dancer who has been enacting the Apache with a girl, and then being thrown from one end of the room to the other. He turns over a table, drops a goldfish on the carpet, appears as a butler and then disguises himself as a lady's maid. He even stops the story to deliver an exhibition of palming hot cakes.Nobody can deny that there is plenty of action, such as it is, in this picture, but after viewing it one would like to see Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton as an antidote.Other Films."Don Q, Son of Zorro," with Douglas Fairbanks, is at the Mark strand."What Fools Men," with Lewis Stone, is at the Cameo.At the Rivoli "The Iron Horse" is holding forth for a second week."The Freshman," "with Harold Lloyd, is at the Colony.The picturization of Harold Bell Wright's story, "A Son of His Father," is the offering at the Rialto.Richard Dix in "The Lucky Devil" is the film attraction at the Broadway."The Wanderer," with Greta Nissen and Ernest Torrence, is at the Criterion; "The Phantom of the Opera," with Lon Chaney, is at the Astor; "The Merry Widow," with Mae Murray, at the Embassy, and "Shore Leave," with Richard Barthelmess, at the Brooklyn Strand.

Out-Slapsticking Slapstick.THE MAN ON THE BOX, with Sydney Chaplin, David Butler, Alice Calhoun, Kathleen Calhoun, Theodore Lorch, Helene Costello, E. J. Ratcliffe, Charles F. Reisner, Charles Gerrard and Henry Barrowes, adapted from Harold McGrath's novel and play of the same name, directed by Charles Reisner; "Herman Heller and his orchestra of versatile soloists;" "The Smoke Eater," a cartoon; "A Patchquilt of Dancing." At Warners'.The Pavley-Oukrainsky Ballet, organized in this country ten years since with the Chicago Opera and now playing four weeks with the San Carlo Company at the Century, is to make its first tour of Europe, sailing for Paris on Dec. 1. With the two leading members already known abroad will be associated American dancers, including several young men, and no fewer than twenty-five American girls. This will be the first time, it is said, that an American company will appear in classic ballet in France.The Paris engagement, to be played either at the Mogador or Chatelet Theatre, has been arranged by a woman impresario, Mme. B. Rasimi, who was manager of a touring French troupe with which the Pavley-Oukrainsky dancers appeared in Mexico City last year.

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